I recently shared a video on the social media that said, "Let's put prayer back in Schools." In a comment, words were used that were suppose expose my 'so-called phobias' and as an added insult I was told I was being selfish. Now, no one wants to be called selfish. All of which the intended purpose was to shame me because of my Christian viewpoints. The perfected art of shaming is a tool used to force the masses into accepting alien viewpoints. Shaming forces an adversary to accept a position of weakness. This is the 'wiles of the devil'.
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
It seems as if the admonition of Jesus and Paul's called to war has been misinterpreted, overlooked or no longer believed. For many, the battle has become personal as we rejoice in songs that tell of beating the Devil running or even crushing his head. False hope is a sellable product of a false religion. False hope has caused many to turn away from God and the church. If our religion is false, we can easily be shamed into accepting false doctrines.
There are a natural war and a spiritual war raging around us. The war that the saints should be concerned about is the spiritual war between good and evil, not the war between countries and states. No amount of misdirected praying or misquoted scriptures is going to eliminate the battleground. The war has been declared and as Christians, we should enlist and prepare ourselves to fight the spiritual battle against the forces of darkness.
Considering the fact that Jesus rarely if ever addressed the natural state of humanity, Paul described this war as a spiritual or supernatural war. This war is older than the war between nations; it is the war between good and evil. This war began in Heaven long before God said let us make a man. Forgotten in the backdrops of bible history man was created to fight in this war or "subdue the earth".
It began as a Heavenly encounter; the Devil lifted up in pride challenged the throne of God. God declared war and the Devil were cast out of heaven, where he brought destruction upon the earth. Jeremiah prophesying of the Pre-Adamic Age declared, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light." (Jeremiah 4:23). Thus began Genesis 1:2, "And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Not a condition of creation but a created condition caused by the catastrophic event of Satan being kicked out upon the earth.
With Satan was expelled from heaven, this did not end the war, the war merely intensified. In the Old Testament, Moses described God as a man of war an attribute that we rather not attribute to God. "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name." (Exodus 15:3) To continue the fight God created man, capable of living in the natural and guided by the spiritual. In his first encounter with the Devil, the man was tempted, resulting in the loss of the first battle. The battle against Satan on earth began as a natural battle, God empowered men as Kings and often led the charge, even the elements were at God's disposal in his battle against evil.
With the coming of Christ, the battlefield shifted to a spiritual plane. Christ approach was to let the wheat and the tares grow together. (Matthew 13:30) It is often taught that the Devil is a defeated foe, yet Paul stated," Wherefore takes unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:11) Peter's admonition to the saints was; "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1st Peter 5:8) Peter and Paul was writing to the church, not those who were standing on the outside looking in.
Paul is addressing the supernatural aspects of the Devil's long-standing war against God. As a side note which we shall discuss in a future article, Satan has organized his domain into seven major divisions, called principalities. He has placed a powerful demon at the head of each principality that is responsible for spreading a particular brand of temptation and bondage over the world. Those who that study or follow the occult is aware of the seven major principalities of Hell that are a part of the teaching of witchcraft. Satan and his demons exist, and they are exceedingly powerful.
The total defeat of Satan and all that were deceived by him will come at a time of God's own choosing, until that time Satan is allowed to operate on earth and in the astrosphere. The Devil and his demons are supernatural, above, over earthly, "natural" forces, they can do whatever they want to do, unless God specifically steps in to prevent it. For some reason, the above statement cannot be made without adding the disclaimer. If we say the Devil can do anything he wants to somehow it seem as if we are taking away from the power of God. Still, much of what Satan wants to do in this world today, he can do. This is why much of witchcraft, and Eastern Meditation, and Alternate Medicines, etc., work, because Satanic power is making it work, and God is not stepping in to prevent it. When God steps in it will be a time of judgment.
As a former member of the military, I am aware of the necessity of battlefield assessments. Information from the battlefront allows the command center to tailor the battle to meet the enemy where he is the strongest. This military conceit allows the marshaling of superior forces against impending threats. Battlefield assessments can present a true picture of the enemy, exposing his weakness and allowing for successful prosecution of the conflict.
The failure of the church to engage the Devil effectively was the theme of Jesus indictment against the church in Revelation 2-3. The battle is not about collecting favors, the battle is about winning souls. There are those who grew up in the church that has walked away from the church and they are replaced by a type that has a strange ideology of God. Preachers, teachers, and even gospel music singers are amassing a following and a fortune perverting the Word of God in the process. These people are not fighting against the Devil, they have become allies of the Devil.
